17.4.14

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours.....Missoni dress




I have been coveting Sew Indigo's Missoni dress ever since it first featured on the Tessuti website.  Not any more, though, because now I have my very own.
 



The pattern is Pattern No. 2, the one-piece side drape top, from Drape Drape Vol. 2.  The fabric is from EmmaOneSock (still available).  My pattern wouldn't fit on the fabric as indicated in the book.  To get it to fit, my stripes are more horizontal on the front and vertical on the back. 


 I used my personal tank top pattern to modify the shape of the neckline and armholes.


The fabric is a bit sheer, so on some occasions, a slip may be necessary. Most of my slips are a bit long or have the wrong shape neckline.  I was wearing this slip, now worn as a nightie, when I was sewing the dress, and surprisingly it works okay, possibly because it has shrink a lot (fabric fail) and the straps have stretched out.


I thought long and hard about how I was going to bind the armholes and neckline.  A very long time.  For 6 hours in a boat whilst I  was trying to distract myself from sea-sickness, I was mentally auditioning selections from my fabric scraps.  In the most recent edition of Threads, Sandra Betzina says that she throws out all of her scraps.  I save mine, and am often dependent on them to finish a project.  Admittedly, my nearest fabric store is a plane ride away.   I decided to use a woven binding, to help hold the shape as the main fabric does not have a strong recovery.  This binding is a silk habotai, left-over from a dress I sewed pre-blog.  I used an existing tank top to determine the length of the bindings, and was careful to fit the dress to the bindings, so that it would not stretch out of shape as I sewed it.


The fabric is so gorgeous that I used some of the scraps straight-away to sew a clutch for one of my sisters.  I used the Hotpatterns Crepe Suzette Circular Clutch, which is available for free download from Fabric.com.  The online pattern reviews for this pattern indicated that the marking for the magnetic snap is in the wrong place. 


The online pattern reviews for this pattern indicated that the marking for the magnetic snap is in the wrong place.  I used a heavyweight pellon interfacing that I bought a few years ago for a special project that never eventuated.


I changed the internal pocket to a zippered pocket.  I find zippered pockets to be more secure in these sorts of clutches.


Whilst I was making this clutch I was getting that feeling...you know the one...the "I'm not sure if I can give this away" feeling.  I quickly posted it off before I could change my mind.

11 comments:

Nursebennett said...

Beautiful dress that looks flattering and very comfortable. What a lovely and generous gift you created for your sister. That beach setting is gorgeous, too. We have had an abnormally chilly spring here in the southern US. I'm envious!

Gabrielle said...

Ooh I absolutely love it - I don't normally like Missoni fabrics that much, but this one looks so amazing on you: the colors are gorgeous on you and the simple shape seems just right too.

Sue said...

Both fabulous pieces! I am sure that bag will be well received.

Megan O said...

Oooh, now I'm coveting your dress and that fabulous clutch. The fabric is really lovely and that Drape Drape pattern is always a winner.

EmeraldErin said...

Wow- this looks amazing, great fabric choice and I love that it's horizontal in the front and vertical in the back, it really works well with the cut! I recently got Drape Drape 1 & 2, and I've made the no. 4 top from vol. 2 and really liked it- this dress was on my list of things to make- it just got bumped to the top of my Drape Drape make list! The bag is also super cute- that print makes everything look great!

lsaspacey said...

Cool, I'm so glad someone else made the Suzette Clutch. Isn't it great? I love your fabric choices. I'm tempted to make another with a heavier interfacing, so how hard was it to make with your interfacing choice?

fabric epiphanies said...

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours.....lovely summery beach scene either! After two weeks of rain I would gladly swap places and swan around beaches in pretty missoni dresses! I really like Missoni type fabrics but am yet to find any. I can see why you wanted to keep the clutch it is the perfect companion.

Robyn said...

Such a great dress - I can see why you wanted your own!

katherine h said...

It wasn't too bad actually. At most, you are only ever sewing through 2 layers of interfacing.

Gail said...

Thou shalt not covet...oh why not! I think this is just a stunner.

Amy said...

This is super pretty. Perfect beach dress. Are you folding the bindings to the inside? I have tried every binding technique never really found one I can live with. I love that you were auditioning them for 6 hours. I can totally relate!